Gu Shi followed Meng Zhao and moved the stored yeast to the storeroom. Just as they were busy, Aunt Qian from next door hurried over and asked, "Lan Ying, has your second son sent any message back?"
Ever since Shen Qinghe went to take the provincial examination with Zhou Xiucai, Aunt Qian couldn't sit still at home and would come to their house every day to say something.
Zhou Yunyuan passed the imperial examination at a young age and became a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the lowest level of the imperial examinations). His family had high hopes for him when he took the exam for the first time, but unfortunately he failed and did not pass anything.
Aunt Qian and Uncle Zhou thought that they couldn't let their children be delayed, so they left the land in the village to their elders. They spent all their savings to rent a house in the county. One of them worked hard outside and even had to run errands during the Spring Festival. The other usually did odd jobs to supplement the family income. On weekdays, she stayed at home to take care of her son and didn't let him do any work, for fear of delaying his studies.
Madam Gu shook her head, her brows furrowing slightly. "No, they haven't sent a single word since they left. I'm worried sick every day and can't sleep soundly."
“I heard they rent a courtyard when they go there. I really want to go with them, even if it's just to cook for them. Seeing them safe and sound makes me feel at peace. It's better than staying at home and thinking about it.”
Meng Zhao put down what she was holding and came over to comfort her, saying, "Aunt Qian, don't worry. Brother Zhou is a steady person, and my second brother is not frivolous either. They will definitely make proper arrangements. If we go with them, it will only make them feel uncomfortable and interfere with their preparation for the exam."
Aunt Qian nodded, her anxiety easing slightly. "Your Erlang is the best. My son said that the teachers at the county school think highly of him. I think he'll definitely pass the exam this time."
Upon hearing this, Madam Gu quickly waved her hand, "That's the imperial examination for the title of Juren. It's not something you can just pass by saying you'll take it. We wouldn't dare say such a thing."
Aunt Qian sighed, her tone tinged with resentment: "They're the same. Whether they passed the exam or not, they didn't even send a message, leaving us at home worrying unnecessarily."
“Mother, Aunt, how could it be so fast? Second Brother and the others have only been gone for less than a month. Think about it, it takes five days to get from here to the provincial capital. They even left five days early because they were worried about something happening on the way. The exams won’t start for another ten days. The provincial exams have three sessions, each lasting three days and two nights. With the intervals in between, it will take half a month to finish. I reckon Second Brother and the others have just come out of the exam hall and are waiting for the results.”
Meng Zhao's words reassured Gu Shi and Aunt Qian a little. Meanwhile, Shen Qinghe and Zhou Yunyuan, who were far away in the provincial capital, had just come out of the examination hall.
The provincial examination, which lasted for nearly half a month, finally came to an end. The two looked at each other and breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhou Yunyuan raised his hand and rubbed his aching temples, his tone tinged with emotion, "Brother Chen, I didn't expect this year's policy essay to be so tricky. There were so many hidden traps in the question itself. If I hadn't recited it to myself many times before writing, I probably would have fallen into the traps too."
The policy essay is the best way to see a person's understanding of national affairs and social issues. The examiner will use a certain event as a starting point and ask the candidate to propose a practical solution. The examiner will then see a person's knowledge and insight from the candidate's answer.
Shen Qinghe nodded. "Indeed, the question is about the flood in Zhuojun on the surface, but what they really want to see is the candidates' insights into the reform of the Grand Canal."
Zhou Yunyuan's tone carried a hint of relief, "Yes, I almost wrote about flood control, but when I saw the words 'Grand Canal Transport' at the end, I suddenly remembered the Grand Canal Transport Governor's corruption case that shocked the court and the public a few years ago, and that's when I realized it."
After saying that, he sighed, "Unfortunately, many candidates didn't seem to realize it sooner. Near the end of the exam, I saw some people start to wail. They must have realized that they had written off-topic, and it was too late to regret it."
Shen Qinghe said calmly, "Now that the exam is over, the result cannot be changed no matter what. We can only let nature take its course. Even if the result is not satisfactory, this trip can be considered as gaining some knowledge."
Zhou Yunyuan nodded in agreement, his tone tinged with relief: "Brother Chen is right. We've agreed not to mention the exam anymore. Brother Li and Brother Sun aren't taking the exam in the same courtyard as us, so I reckon they've already gone back to their lodgings. Let's go back too, wash up and rest properly, and take advantage of these few days before the results are announced to chat with the other candidates, make some friends, and relax a bit."
Before the exams, everyone was focused on preparing, and many people were reluctant to go out and socialize. Now that the exams are over, it's natural to go out and socialize.
Whether you pass the exam or not, it's extremely important to take the opportunity to build connections.
In the past few days, Meng Zhao took some time to go to Qinyang County to check on Chef Zhou and Shopkeeper Zhou's franchise stores. Now her braised pork shop has a total of seven franchise stores, and she has also set up daily supply counters in three places with high traffic.
With more and more branches, management has become increasingly difficult. Especially recently, in the summer, Meng Zhao's biggest concern is that in order to save costs, they will continue to sell leftover braised dishes from the previous day, which could lead to food safety issues.
So she set up a scoring standard, and had Shen Yun lead a team to inspect the site every month. If the score was too low at the end of the year, the franchisee's qualification would be revoked.
Currently, the franchise stores seem to be following the rules, but as they gradually expand outwards, it will inevitably become difficult to manage them all. She couldn't help but wonder how the Xiao family managed to open over a hundred branches of Chunfenglou. She would have to learn a thing or two from them next time they met.
After Meng Zhao returned from his inspection of Qinyang County, the scholars who had participated in the provincial examinations began to return one after another. Aunt Qian came to her house every day, telling her the news she had found out.
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